Organizational Behavior
Chapter 5: Values, Attitude, and Job Satisfaction
Chapter Contents:
Values
Types of Values
Rokech Value Survey
Attitude
Components of Attitude
Types of Attitude
Job Satisfaction
Factors Determining of Job Satisfaction
Effect of Job Satisfaction on Performance
Response of Dissatisfied employee
Value, attitude and behavior are interlinked with each other. All these factors decide the personality of an individual.
Value represents individual’s standards, faith, ideals or even events and activity. When we say that the individual should
be loyal to the organization one serves, is an expression on individual’s standard, faith or an ideal he carries with him as
a part of his personality. Attitude can be defined as “individual’s feelings about or inclinations towards other persons,
objects, events or activities.” Attitude encompasses such affective feelings as likes and dislikes and satisfaction and
dissatisfaction.
5.1 Values
Values are beliefs and are defined as beliefs about what is desirable and “good” (freedom of press) and what are
undesirable or bad (dishonesty). Value represents basic conviction that “a specific mode of conduct or end state of
existence is personally or socially preferable to an opposite or converse mode of conduct or end state of existence”.
5.2 Types of Values
Allport and associates described six types of values. These are discussed briefly as follows:
(a) Theoretical value: Theoretical value is related to importance and discovery of truth through rational approach. If all
the employees practice truth in true sense, the organization would operate itself and there won’t be any need for
supervision. Truth is such a powerful value that the British Empire had to leave Indian soil.
(b) Economic value: It emphasizes usefulness and practicability of resources, efforts put in by individuals and the
consequent value derived there from. If the project is economically viable (in a very large sense) then it can be
undertaken. Economic value is appreciated from a very broad sense and it spells apart from economics of the issue. It
also adds human value to it when it is considered. It is the human aspect, which makes economic value enlarged.
(c) Aesthetic value: It is form of Harmony. We believe that all work must be done in a smooth manner and that there is
mutual understanding and sense of participation among all human elements. Aesthetic value is displayed by cordial
relations between various levels of organization, effective communication, conflict free atmosphere and very congenial
work environment. The work in organizations, which has aesthetic value system among workers, is done in harmony,
peace and participation of one and all.
(d) Social value: Is related to love of people, sense of belonging and an attitude of ‘we’ feeling. Such value is very
important in the organization that brings together the employees which are bound by a sense of participation that leads
to high level of motivation and high productivity.
(e) Political value: It refers to power and influence in the organization. Right people must be placed at the right positions
so that they are able to influence the people
(f) Religious value: As name suggest it is related to display of value which would bring unity and understanding amongst
the people in the organization based on common religious platform. This value is no more is being preached in
organization as cross section of people is now working in organization world over. However, the positive impact on work
environment in the organizations cannot be underestimated based on religious value.
5.3 Rokech Value Survey
Milton Rokech is a pioneer in studying human values. His research is known as the Rokeach value survey (RVS). The RVS
consists of two sets of values. Each of the sets contains 18 value items. The first set of Terminal value refers to desirable
end state of existence. These are the goals that a person would like to achieve in lifetime. The second set is called
instrumental values it refers to preferable modes of behavior. These are means of achieving Terminal values. The details
of both the value sets is given below in Figure
5.4 Attitude
According to G.W. Allport, “Attitude is a mental and neutral state of readiness organized through experience, exerting
a directive or dynamic influence upon individual’s response to all objects and situations with which it is related.”
Krech and Crutchfield defined “attitude as an enduring organization of motivational, emotional, perceptual and
cognitive processes with respect to some aspect of the individual’s world”
According to Katz and Scotland, “Attitude is a tendency or predisposition to evaluate an object or symbol of that
object in a certain way”. In effect attitude is used in a generic sense, as to what people perceive, feel and express their
views about a situation, object or other people. Attitude cannot be seen, but the behavior can be seen as an expression
of attitude.
5.5 Components of Attitude
(a) Cognitive component: Cognitive component of attitude is related to value statement. It consists of belief, ideas,
values and other information that an individual may possess or has faith in. Quality of working hard is a value statement
or faith that a manager may have.
(b) Affective component: Affective component of attitude is related to person’s feelings about another person, which
may be positive, negative or neutral. I do not like Maya because she is not hard working, or I like Mina because she is
hard working. It is an expression of feelings about a person, object or a situation.
(c) Behavioral component: Behavioral component of attitude is related to impact of various situations or objects that
lead to individual’s behavior based on cognitive and affective components. I do not like Maya because she is not hard
working is an affective component, I therefore would like to disassociate myself with her, is a behavioral component and
therefore I would avoid Maya. Development of favorable attitude and good relationship with Mina is but natural.
5.6 Types of Attitude
Job satisfaction: Job satisfaction is related to general attitude towards the job. A person having a high level of
satisfaction will generally hold a positive attitude while dissatisfied people will generally display negative attitude
towards life. When we talk about attitude, we generally speak about job satisfaction because they are inter-related in
organizational behavior.
Job involvement: Job involvement refers to the degree to which a person identifies himself (psychologically) with his
job, actively participates and considers his perceived performance level important to self-worth. (Robbins). High level of
involvement indicates that the individual cares for his job that has an impact on high productivity. Higher the job
satisfaction, lower will be absenteeism and employee turnover.
Organizational commitment: Organizational commitment refers to degree to which an employee identifies himself with
the organizational goals and wishes to maintain membership in the organization. He wants to “belong” to the
organization and take an active part in the functioning. Absenting or resigning from the job versus job satisfaction is a
predictor of organizational commitment. The concept has been very popular in the recent times. Organizational
commitment depends upon job enrichment factor and degree to which the workers enjoy autonomy and freedom of
action while performing.
5.7 Job Satisfaction
The study of Job satisfaction is one of most important factors in the study of human behavior in the organization. Job
satisfaction focuses on employee attitude towards his job. It has three important dimensions:
(a) Job satisfaction can be measured by the emotional response to a job situation, hence it cannot be seen, and it can
only be inferred.
(b) Job satisfaction is related to what you actually get as reward and what you expect to get. If the difference between
the actual reward and expectation is minimum or negligible them a person will display a positive attitude and if there is
wide difference between the two, a person will display a negative attitude towards his job and therefore the satisfaction
level will be low.
(c) Job satisfaction is related to job dimensions. These can be expressed in terms of job content, remuneration, attitude
of co-workers, and opportunity of growth that job is able to provide in terms of promotion and last but not the least the
expert loyal and experienced leadership is available in terms of supervision.
5.8 Factors Determining Job Satisfaction
There are number of dimensions which effect job satisfaction. Value system possessed by an individual and the culture
supporting the value system in the organization can be called as an important and basic for job satisfaction. However
some of the important factors that determine job satisfaction of the employees in the organization are as under:
1. Work Content: Content of the work itself is a major source of satisfaction. The work must be challenging. It should
lend itself opportunities to use employee skills, ability and experience. The content of the work should be encouraging
and interesting and have variety inbuilt in it so that it is not boring. Positive feedback from the job and autonomy has
been considered to be important for motivation of employees. Too tough or job having two little challenge brings
frustration and feeling of failure hence the job should be moderately tough so that the individual has to stretch his
ability, imagination and skills.
2. Pay and promotion policy: Salary and wages play decisive part in the study of job satisfaction. Equitable rewards are
multidimentional in nature. The benefits are of varied nature namely pay, perks and rewards are associated with
motivation of employees. Pay system and promotion policy of the organization must be just, unambiguous and in line
with the prevalent industry norms and employee expectations. Employee wages and salary must ensure him the social
status and should be able to fulfill the expectations. Individual must perceive salary administration and promotion policy
as being fair.
3. Supportive working condition: Working conditions have a modest but lasting effect on job satisfaction. Due to fast
development of technology, it is necessary that the organizations are operating on upgraded technology, latest systems
and procedures. The layout of work place must be ideally suited from operational point of view and the employees
should display great degree of satisfaction.
4. Work group: The concept of work group and work teams is more prevalent to day. Work group of multi skilled
persons with one goal will be able to function effectively if they are friendly and co-operative. The work group serves as
a source of support, comfort, advice and assistance to individual worker. A good work group makes the job more
enjoyable.
5. Supervision: Supervision is one of the moderate factors, which affect job satisfaction. Qualified supervisors should be
available for advice, guidance and problem solving. Supervisors should be placed close to the place of work and should
be available.
6. Personality job fit: Individuals should be assigned the job that suits their interest. Recently it has been seen that MBA
graduates are satisfied with their job if they get the job related to the “specialization” they have chosen during the MBA
degree. Persons having analytical approach should be assigned job in R&D department so that their level of job
satisfaction increases.
5.8 Effect of Job Satisfaction on Performance
1. Satisfaction and productivity: Based on research carried out in Hawthorne studies, further research to prove that
“happy workers are productive” was carried out, which has been proved negative. Based on the conclusion of
Hawthorne studies, managers began their efforts to make their employees happier by improving work conditions,
providing Laissez-faire type of leadership, expanding various facilities to the workers, but it has been found that there is
no direct relationship between happiness and productivity. Robins concluded that productive workers are likely to be
happy workers. Further research on the subject suggests that organization having happy workers might have increased
productivity.
2. Satisfaction and absenteeism: There is an inverse relationship between satisfaction and absenteeism. When workers
are more satisfied the absenteeism is low. When satisfaction level is low absenteeism tends to be high. There are certain
moderating variables like sick leave and degree to which people feel that their jobs are important. Where there is a
provision for sick leave, employees would take the benefit and absent them. As far as the importance of work is
concerned, it has been observed that people attend to their work when it is important to accomplish.
3. Satisfaction and turnover: It has been found that employees who are not satisfied with their jobs will have high
turnover. Employees who are satisfied will not have high turnover. Satisfaction is also negatively related to turnover but
the co-relation is stronger than what we found in absenteeism. Employee performance is a moderating factor of the
satisfaction—Turnover relationship.
5.9 Response of Dissatisfied Employee
Exit – individual starts searching a new job and resign from
the current job.
Voice – employees tries to improve working conditions. In
the process suggestion to management are submitted,
increased union activates and communication is important.
Loyalty– workers behave passively in situation like external
criticism. They wait for things to improve on their own.
Neglect – deliberately and consciously allow conditions to
worsen by long absenteeism, lack of interest for quality
control, targets, quota, etc. They put in reduced efforts and display lack of interest.